Football - Archives December 2017

IRVING, TEXAS – Old Dominion University Football senior running back Josh Marriner was named ODU's recipient of the Conference USA Spirit of Service Award, C-USA announced on Tuesday.
The C-USA Spirit of Service Award is designed to recognize the community service efforts of the league's student-athletes, based upon significant community service, good academic standing and participation in their elected sport. The Spirit of Service Award will be presented three times throughout the season, with today's honorees representing Conference USA's fall sports: football, soccer, volleyball and cross country.
A graduate transfer from UConn, Marriner holds a 3.51 grade point average while working on his Masters in public administration.
Marriner finished his ODU career with 87 rushing yards on 24 carries. He was also a solid special teams player for the Monarchs, accumulating 14 special teams tackles in his two years with the program.

Sunday was a banner day in the NFL for Old Dominion football, three players played in an NFL regular season game. Rick Lovato for the Eagles, Larry Pinkard for the Jaguars, and Rashaad Coward with the Bears.
Coward started the day by playing for the Bears, becoming the first Monarch defensive player to play in an NFL regular season game. Coward was on the Bears practice squad for the first 12 weeks of the season before being signed to the 53 man roster and was activated for Sunday's game. He had one quarterback hit on the day.
Pinkard saw his first NFL action several weeks ago, as he was also signed off the practice squad. He recorded his first career NFL catch for five yards in the Jaguars' 30-24 win over Seattle.
Lovato has been with the Eagles the entire season, playing in all 13 games as the long snapper. Lovato and the Eagles defeated the Rams to move to an NFC best, 11-2.
Taylor Heinicke and Zach Pascal are currently are currently on the practice squads of the Texans and Titans, respectively.

IRVING, TEXAS – Old Dominion University junior kickoff returner Isaiah Harper was named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year, C-USA announced on Wednesday.
Harper led Conference USA and ranks eighth in FBS with a 29.1-yard kickoff return average and is tied for third in FBS with three kickoff return touchdowns.
A native of Chesapeake, Virginia, Harper returned a kickoff 100-yards for a touchdown against North Carolina, which was the longest kickoff return in ODU history.
A month later, Harper returned a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns at North Texas, taking his first one back 97-yards and later in the game returning one for 98-yards. Harper's 235 kickoff return yards against the Mean Green is the most so far this season in FBS.
Harper was also an offensive threat for the Monarchs, leading ODU with 39 receptions for 462 yards and also rushing for 59 yards.
Harper becomes the second ODU player to win a major award in Conference USA, joining Ray Lawry who won C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2014.

IRVING, Texas – Oshane Ximines, Isaiah Harper and Darrell Brown were received All-Conference USA first-team accolades, while seven other Monarchs received honorable mention honors, C-USA Announced on Tuesday.
Ximines earned first-team status at defensive end, while Harper at kick returner and Brown at punt returner. Running back Ray Lawry, offensive linemen Nick Clarke and Isaac Weaver, defensive linemen Miles Fox and Bunmi Rotimi, cornerback Brandon Addison and long snapper Reed Buce received honorable mention accolades.
Ximines broke his own ODU single-season record and finished tied for second in Conference USA with 8.5 sacks. He finished fourth in C-USA with 14 tackles for loss and second with four forced fumbles. Last season, Ximines earned second-team All-C-USA, and was named to the all-freshman team in 2015.
Harper ranks eighth in FBS in kickoff return average with 29.1 yards per return. He is tied for third with three kickoff return touchdowns, including two at North Texas, and a 100-yard return against North Carolina.
Brown led Conference USA with 8.4 yards per punt return, including a season-long 31-yarder in the win over Albany. He earned all-freshman honors last season.
Lawry finished fifth in Conference USA with 92.8 rushing yards per game while rushing for seven touchdowns. He had three 100-yard games on the year, including a season-high 166 yards and three touchdowns against WKU. He was named honorable mention a year ago, second-team in 2015 and was C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2014. He will finish his career ranked ninth in C-USA history with 4,080 yards.
Clarke started all 12 games at center for the second-straight season, and has started 31-straight for the Monarchs. The honorable mention honor is the first of his career. Clarke played all but one snap on offense this season.
Weaver started all 12 games at left tackle, playing all but one sn

IRVING, TEXAS – Old Dominion University football had four players on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team, quarterback Steven Williams, offensive lineman Isaac Weaver, linebacker Jordan Young and cornerback Joe Joe Headen made the team, C-USA announced on Tuesday.
A native of Washington, D.C., Williams played in 10 games for the Monarchs, completing 147-of-263 passes for 1,528 yards, six touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 263 yards and three touchdowns. He passed for a season-high 240 yards on 17-of-24 passing and two touchdowns in ODU's 37-30 win at FIU. Williams became the second youngest quarterback to start a game in FBS history when he started for ODU at Virginia Tech in September.
Weaver started every game at left tackle for the Monarchs. A native of Marietta, Georgia, Weaver played in 810 of ODU's 811 snaps this season, missing his only play at Marshall when his helmet came off.
Young was second on the Monarchs with 85 tackles, while adding six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He had three double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 15 in the win over Rice.
Headen played in all 12 games, starting five at corner. He was second on the defense in turnover plays with three, a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery. He also led the team with six pass breakups, and added 36 tackles and a tackle for loss.
2017 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Steven Williams, Old Dominion
RB – Tyler King, Marshall
RB – Spencer Brown, UAB
OL – Tarik Adams, Marshall
OL – Kody Russey, Louisiana Tech
OL – Isaac Weaver, Old Dominion
OL – Arvin Fletcher, Southern Miss
OL – Tyler Witt, WKU
TE – Jordan Myers, Rice
WR – Willie Wright, Florida Atlantic
WR – Aaron Cephus, Rice
DEFENSE
DL – Leighton McCarthy, Florida Atlantic
DL – Jordan Ferguson, Middle Tennessee
DL – Jacques Turner, Southern Miss
DL – Trace Mascorro, UTEP
DL – Jaylon Haynes, UTSA
L

IRVING, TEXAS – Old Dominion University junior defensive end Oshnae Ximines was named to the inTouch Credit Union Conference USA Football All-Academic Team, C-USA announced on Friday.
Ximines started all 12 games at defensive end for the Monarchs, leading the team in sacks with 8.5, and tackles for loss with 14. His 8.5 sacks breaks his own single-season record he set last year. He also recorded four forced fumbles, tying TJ Ricks' single-season record and led the team with seven quarterback hurries. Ximines is also tied for the ODU career record in forced fumbles with Ricks at seven.
For his career, Ximines holds the ODU career record for sacks with 20, and is third all-time with 33 tackles for loss.
Earlier this year, Ximines was named CoSIDA Academic All-District. A native of Ahoskie, North Carolina, Ximines posts a 3.5 grade point average and is majoring in finance.
ODU All-Time C-USA All-Academic Team Members
2017 – Oshane Ximines
2016 – Tyler Compton
2015 – Tyler Compton
2014 – Tyler Compton, Josh Mann